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Opinion Imbler, Joseph do region proud
Imbler, Joseph do region proud
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The 2008 Oregon Class 1A football championship meant so much to the
teams that played for it, it was almost a shame somebody had to lose. That somebody was not the Imbler Panthers. No, sir. Like their opponents, the Joseph Eagles, the Panthers were playing for a first-ever state title. Joseph went home without the coveted trophy even though it led the contest for a half. Imbler came from behind to win, 48-36, dedicating the effort and the victory to their sidelined starting quarterback, Bryan Mills. What a game. And what a season — for both teams. Way back at the beginning, who would have thought Imbler had the horses? From the team that placed second in the 2007 state championships, 10 seniors graduated. It’s a real credit to Coach Lee Lowe that the 2008 edition emerged even stronger. The 2008 Panthers won two of three pre-season games, and beat all their opponents in Special District 4. A highlight during the regular season — and an omen, maybe — was their 36-12 win over Joseph. Cut to the state playoffs. First round, Imbler defeated Mohawk, the team they lost the state crown to the year before. The next victim was Crane, and then came that bittersweet semi-final victory over Dufur, the one team that beat Imbler in the pre-season. It must have felt glorious to win by 20 points, 52-32. But the victory came with a heavy price. Mills sustained a leg injury, had to have it repaired with pins, and so would not play in the final against the ever-resilient Joseph Eagles. It was bad news, the worst. But as things turned out, JoHi had nothing on the Panthers in the resiliency department. In the first quarter of a wild, high-scoring title tilt, Joseph bolted to a 22-6 lead and led at the half, 36-28. Then Imbler, led by junior quarterback Dalton McDaniel, came roaring back. The defense dug in, the offense exploded. Joseph never scored again after the halftime break. Imbler scored plenty, and won, 48-36. For many, perhaps most, high school players, a shot at a state title comes along never. If it wasn’t so rare a thing, it wouldn’t be worth trying for. Imbler and Joseph, neighbors in Northeast Oregon, made the state playoffs both in 2007 and 2008. That says a lot about the quality of the programs in those towns. Imbler, though, overcame the doubt, the pressure, the adversity. A coach showed real talent for bringing out the best in younger players, an untested quarterback took charge when the first-stringer went down and the rest of the team responded beautifully. So now, the trophy roosts exactly where it belongs. Way to go, Panthers! |
